11.1.07

Moondoggy Recommends #4

The Hold Steady
The Hold Steady are a great Brooklyn-based indie band that have recently caught my attention. Their most recent album, Boys and Girls in America, channels inspiration from the likes of Jack Kerouac and John Berryman. In "Stuck Between Stations", for instance, frontman Craig Finn sings about poet John Berryman jumping to his death off the Washington Avenue Bridge in Minneapolis: "The Devil and John Berryman, they took a walk together/And they ended up on Washington talking to the river." Great stuff.Their tunes are catchy and Finn's raspy voice brings to mind Soul Coughing's Mike Doughty but what stands out most are their strong lyrics, wit, and their Beat-like vibe. They might not be indie for too long though... tonight they're performing on The Late Show with David Letterman.

Visit The Hold Steady.

The Hold Steady MySpace page.

Article on John Berryman's influence on The Hold Steady from The Poetry Foundation.

Highlights: "Stuck Between Stations", "Chips Ahoy", "Southtown Girls", "The Swish".

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